The enigma that is Kevin Pietersen

[dan08]

I know, its weird, his stats are certainly right up there with the best, but his technique suggests he shouldn't have achieved anywhere near what he has. I can't say I ever really enjoyed watching him bat. Give me an afternoon of watching the grace and style of Richards and Gower against the awkwardness of Pietersen any day of the week.

Say from Boycott, have England ever had a batsman that has performed as well? In the 90's we only had Graham Thorpe who even averaged in the 40's, in the 2000's we had players in the low 40's, and some in the 80's too..... But no one who really challenged the 50 mark like KP did for most of his career until form and injury caught up with him in the last year.

I am not sure how negative comments on technique can come into the debate really. Gower was elegant, but he never invented a stroke for the coaching manual like KP did..... quite incredibly, against Wisden's best ranked bowler in cricket history, and in doing so sent him into Row Z, then repeated it a few times. Not sure I ever seen Barry Richards advancing down the track to a 95mph bouncer and swatting it the boundary on the front foot.

Unorthodox, yes, but poor technique, anything but!!! His core strength and balance was brilliant, able to power through the ball even when off balance, which made up for his lack of foot speed.

I mean, if you didn't enjoy KP at his best smashing great attacks around the park, then I am not sure why you watch cricket. Very few batsman were so dominate and dismissively arrogant and audacious when at their best.

Poor technique ---- No you say; Fair enough but it wasn't a good one. Batsmen with very good techniques can generally play county SLA journeyman bowlers.

KP's best knock was his 186 where he took apart one of the better SLA bowlers of the last decade - Ojha. Also 151 v Herath, 227 v Doherty. Still averaged just under 40 against SLA bowlers in Tests: http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2 ... 90377.html Not bad for such a major weakness...

[sussexpob]

I don't think anyone but the odd maverick outlier thinks of Pietersen (or any England bat post Barrington (who was before my time)) as a great bat. He was however prominent among the limited micro world of England batting talent in that time. And left behind some vivid memories. Pietersen not being a great seems to be a bit of a strawman, and sometimes is used as a means of denying his very special qualities. I'm not including bfp in that.

I am not sure the raw batting data is ever fair on English players, because English pitches have always been better places to bowl on, and naturally an English batsman averaging 50 is more of an achievement in a career. If you want to assess how well the best players of our era did in English conditions, you do see a lot underperforming.

Sangakkarra had to wait a decade from his first tour of England to registering a 100 here, and about 15-20 runs less in England than his career average. He played County Cricket in

Lara averaged in the high 40's in England, but really after 1995 (when at his very peak) he never made an impact in the 10 tests he played, Tendulkar scored one hundred in England after 1996.

Kallis - Averaged low 30's
Jaywardene - Low 30's
Ponting -Low 40's
Hussey - Low 30's
Hayden - mid 30's

Not many greats from KP's era could play their best in conditions he played his career in.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Though the conditions alien to these bats are familiar to England's. Indian batters score heavily in India, but England's don't; familiarity is the difference there. And it's difficult to make allowances when England bowlers have such high averages. Runs per wicket do tend to be at the lower end of the spectrum in England. But from memory, they are lower in SA, and they've produced batters with better stats.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Surprised Hussey's record is so low in England. One of the what ifs about 2005, is if they'd picked Hussey and Clark, as it seemed they must. But Mr Cricket has a poor record here.

[Aidan11]

It's now confirmed...KP has re-joined Surrey.

[westoelad]

Surprised Hussey's record is so low in England. One of the what ifs about 2005, is if they'd picked Hussey and Clark, as it seemed they must. But Mr Cricket has a poor record here.

I assume we're referring to Michael-his domestic record here will be phenomenal. He's very experienced on English wickets.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I think Sussex would have been referring to Tests. I know he's had a significant fc career here.

[Gingerfinch]

5 matches - 276 runs @ 34. Not to bad.

[sussexpob]

5 matches - 276 runs @ 34. Not to bad.

He played two tests against Pakistan in England. His overall average is 30 in 7 tests. He played 5 years of county cricket before playing a test in England, so no excuses about getting used to conditions.

Though the conditions alien to these bats are familiar to England's

Kallis spent the summer before 1998's South Africa series as Middlesex's overseas player (I think it was there) and played for Glamorgan a couple of seasons after.

Tendulkar played in England as a county player and before England had an attack that wsa any good, had played well. Against successful English sides he didn't score a 100 in several series.

Lara scored the highest ever innings in England and had played for Warwickshire the summer before his unsuccessful 2000 series.

Hayden played for two different teams inbetween his test exile between 1994 and 2000.... probably 3 or 4 seasons in county cricket at Notts and Northants.

Sangakkara has played for two different counties, hasn't he?? (Lancs and Durham by memory)??

Jaywardene played for Derbyshire for a bit..Ponting played for two counties...

I would hazard a guess that, for any nation, more players coming to England have played there more than any other country after their domestic teams.

[Arthur Crabtree]

That's a fair point generally. Though for some of these more than others. Playing regular CC like Mr Cricket feels different from a season for experience at the start of a career, like SRT.

Not for proof of anything, but just to show who has done well in England. Since 1970.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=batting

Though it might be reasonable to point out that all the top batters in English conditions are from overseas. Apart from Root and Ballance, who probably won't maintain those averages, just having benefitted from a stats-friendly home summer.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Informative article linked by Dan, above.

[Making_Splinters]

It will be good to see KP back playing in England, though it seems like it will be a last hurrah. The big question will be can he still produce the goods after over a year out of first class cricket. The prospect of watching KP and Sanga bat together is an exciting one.

[rich1uk]

I think he has put himself in a no-win situation

if he scores big runs it will be written off as being "only against division two bowling", if he doesn't score big runs it will be described as "he isn't as good as he thinks he is" and either way I cant see any way back for him anyway

good on him tho for accepting the challenge and giving up £200,000 to at least try and force people's hands

[Albondiga]

I know, its weird, his stats are certainly right up there with the best, but his technique suggests he shouldn't have achieved anywhere near what he has. I can't say I ever really enjoyed watching him bat. Give me an afternoon of watching the grace and style of Richards and Gower against the awkwardness of Pietersen any day of the week.

Say from Boycott, have England ever had a batsman that has performed as well? In the 90's we only had Graham Thorpe who even averaged in the 40's, in the 2000's we had players in the low 40's, and some in the 80's too..... But no one who really challenged the 50 mark like KP did for most of his career until form and injury caught up with him in the last year.

I am not sure how negative comments on technique can come into the debate really. Gower was elegant, but he never invented a stroke for the coaching manual like KP did..... quite incredibly, against Wisden's best ranked bowler in cricket history, and in doing so sent him into Row Z, then repeated it a few times. Not sure I ever seen Barry Richards advancing down the track to a 95mph bouncer and swatting it the boundary on the front foot.

Unorthodox, yes, but poor technique, anything but!!! His core strength and balance was brilliant, able to power through the ball even when off balance, which made up for his lack of foot speed.

I mean, if you didn't enjoy KP at his best smashing great attacks around the park, then I am not sure why you watch cricket. Very few batsman were so dominate and dismissively arrogant and audacious when at their best.

Poor technique ---- No you say; Fair enough but it wasn't a good one. Batsmen with very good techniques can generally play county SLA journeyman bowlers.

KP's best knock was his 186 where he took apart one of the better SLA bowlers of the last decade - Ojha. Also 151 v Herath, 227 v Doherty. Still averaged just under 40 against SLA bowlers in Tests: http://www.espncricinfo.com/the-ashes-2 ... 90377.html Not bad for such a major weakness...

I doubt that he got many runs off the slow left arm bowlers and anyway Doherty is not significant.

[sussexpob]

More selective agenda driven journalism from the press.

John Buchanan says KP will destroy England, but this is the same Buchanan who has previous with slagging off KP and singling him out before the 2010-11 as the weak line that Australia would exploit.....The weak link that averaged over 60 for the tour.

I think KP responded by saying he didn't listen to nobody's like Buchanan and it was handbags at dawn..... also said Buchanan's only achievement was to take a team that didn't need coaching because they were already the best.

KP's biggest mate in Cricket-----> Shane Warne, who's biggest enemy in cricket is ------> Buchanan -----> who has previously shown he doesn't like----->KP


Far from being a printable mass media story touted as some informed opinion from a former successful international coach, this is just a bloke who made himself a fool where slagging KP was concerned looking for some come back